Salisbury Cathedral and Magna Carta, Stonehenge, and the stone circles of Avebury
South Wiltshire's cathedral city and the prehistoric landscapes around it. Salisbury grew up after the cathedral moved down from Old Sarum in 1220; its spire is the tallest in England and the Chapter House holds one of the four surviving 1215 copies of Magna Carta. Stonehenge stands about 8 miles to the north, on Salisbury Plain beside Amesbury.
Stonehenge and Avebury, about 15 miles apart, were inscribed together as a World Heritage Site in 1986. This guide covers three bases: Salisbury and Old Sarum; Stonehenge and Amesbury, with Woodhenge and Durrington Walls; and Avebury with the market town of Marlborough. Salisbury has the main railway station, and English Heritage runs Stonehenge with timed tickets.
Areas
Each area has its own mini guide with 48 sights, places to eat and drink, and where to stay across the city.
The cathedral and Magna Carta, the Close, the Market Place and the hillfort of Old Sarum
Open the mini guide →
The stones, Woodhenge, Durrington Walls and the barrows of the Stonehenge landscape
Open the mini guide →
The Avebury stone circles, Silbury Hill, West Kennet Long Barrow and the market town of Marlborough
Open the mini guide →Sights
A sight from each area. Every area guide lists the rest, with directions and official links.
Early English Gothic cathedral built between 1220 and 1258, with England's tallest spire (123 m) and a medieval clock from about 1386.
Circle of sarsen and bluestones built in phases from about 3100 BC, aligned on the midsummer sunrise and midwinter sunset.
Neolithic bank, ditch and the largest stone circle in Britain, built between about 2850 and 2200 BC around part of the village.
National Trust townhouse on Choristers' Green, completed in 1701 in the Queen Anne style, with a walled garden and tea room.
English Heritage exhibition on the builders of Stonehenge, with reconstructed Neolithic houses and a café; tickets cover the stones too.
Museum of finds from the Avebury monuments; English Heritage suggests starting here to learn about the sites around the village.
Museum in the King's House facing the cathedral's west front, with collections on Stonehenge, local archaeology and the city's medieval guilds.
Bank-and-ditch avenue nearly 3 km long linking the stones with the River Avon, partly aligned on the midsummer sunrise.
1 / 12Itineraries
Short routes that stitch the areas together.
Getting there
Salisbury is the rail hub for this guide, with direct trains from London Waterloo. Stonehenge and Avebury are in open country: use the Stonehenge Tour bus, local buses or a car, and check the operators for current times, fares and disruption.
Direct trains from London Waterloo take around 1 hour 30 minutes, according to English Heritage. Salisbury station is managed by South Western Railway and is about half a mile from the Cathedral Close.
Salisbury Reds runs the hop-on hop-off Stonehenge Tour from Salisbury city centre via Old Sarum to Stonehenge; English Heritage says it leaves hourly from the station forecourt. A taxi from the station is about 12 miles (19 km).
The nearest stations are Pewsey and Swindon. Stagecoach bus 49 (Swindon, Devizes and Trowbridge) passes through Avebury twice an hour Monday to Saturday and hourly on Sundays, and Swindon's Bus Company route 42 links Calne, Avebury and Marlborough, according to the National Trust.
Stonehenge is just off the A303 (sat nav SP4 7DE) and parking must be booked in advance. Avebury's National Trust car park is on the A4361 (SN8 1RD). Many coach tours to Stonehenge leave from London Victoria.
Journey times and fares change; check the operator before you travel.
The station, Market Place and Cathedral Close are within walking distance; Mompesson House is about half a mile from the station, according to the National Trust.
The Stonehenge Tour bus links Salisbury, Old Sarum and Stonehenge; from Amesbury, the National Trust lists the Activ8 and X5 buses towards the Stonehenge landscape.
Silbury Hill, West Kennet Long Barrow, the Avenue and Windmill Hill can be reached on foot from Avebury village; paths can be uneven and muddy.
Best time to go
The cathedral and museums work all year. Stonehenge and Avebury are open landscapes, so the weather shapes the visit; the solstices are the busiest days at Stonehenge.
Wilton House grounds reopen at Easter and Savernake Forest has bluebells in late spring.
Long days for walking between the Avebury sites; Stonehenge is busiest, so book timed tickets ahead.
A funfair fills Salisbury's Market Place for three days from the third Monday in October, and Marlborough holds its two Mop Fairs.
Short days suit the cathedral and museums; English Heritage marks the winter solstice at Stonehenge.
English Heritage marks the solstice at the stones; on that day the site opens as normal from about 1pm.
English Heritage: Stonehenge →Day trips
Ideas for a day away from Salisbury & Stonehenge. Check the operators for times and tickets.
The Georgian spa city and its Roman Baths, about 30 miles from Salisbury; our Bath guide covers it area by area.
Bath guide →
Southampton is about 20 miles south-east of Salisbury; our guide covers its old town and Portsmouth's Historic Dockyard.
Portsmouth and Southampton guide →
An 18th-century landscape garden with lakeside walks and classical temples, and a Palladian mansion, about 2.5 miles north-west of Mere.
National Trust: Stourhead →FAQ
Take the Stonehenge Tour bus run by Salisbury Reds, which leaves from Salisbury station and the city centre and can stop at Old Sarum. English Heritage says it departs hourly from the station forecourt.
English Heritage sells timed tickets online and booking by midnight the day before is cheaper than paying on the day. If you drive, parking must also be booked in advance.
English Heritage sells separate Stone Circle Experience visits that take you inside the stones, alongside its standard day tickets; check its site for dates and availability.
In the Chapter House of Salisbury Cathedral. Salisbury's copy is one of four surviving originals from 1215, and entry is included in the cathedral admission ticket.
Yes: English Heritage lists the henge and stone circles as free to enter at any reasonable time in daylight. The National Trust car park is charged, and Avebury Manor and the museum have their own admission.
The two parts of the World Heritage Site are about 15 miles (24 km) apart. English Heritage says Stonehenge is within a 45-minute drive of Avebury.
Nearby places
Our closest other guides, by straight-line distance between centres. Road and rail distances are longer: check a journey planner.
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
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